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Weekly Event Announcements for the City of Alexandria: May 1 - 7, 2010

Saturday, May 1 – Spring for Alexandria’s Community Contributions and Lemonaide Day
Clear out your cupboards and closets and contribute to our neighbors in need! Spring for Alexandria hosts “Alexandria Gives: A Community Contributions Day,” where organizations will accept charitable donations, from clothing and household items to canned food and pet supplies. Make sure you also purchase lemonade at dozens of lemonade stands around the City to support kids in need. For more information, visit www.springforalexandria.org.

Saturday, May 1 – Spring Cleanup Area IV Collection
Area IV is scheduled for Spring Cleanup collection today, and residents who receive the City’s trash collection services are eligible to participate. Materials should be set out at the curb no later than 7 a.m. For more information, visit www.alexandriava.gov/solidwaste.

Saturday, May 1 – Invasive Species Plant Garlic Mustard Pull
Volunteers are needed to take part in the statewide Garlic Mustard Pull at 10 a.m., and should meet near the intersection of Holmes Run Parkway and Pegram Street (near the kiosk and pedestrian bridge). As part of the City’s Eco-City Alexandria initiative, this event focuses on hand-pulling and bagging the invasive Garlic Mustard along the paths of Holmes Run from the western end of the City at Dora Kelly Park east to the Duke Street Bridge. For more information, contact Claudia Hamblin-Katnik at 703.746.4068.

Saturday, May 1 – Learn the Secrets of Travel Photography
Come learn the secrets of travel photography from professional travel photographer Ann Purcell, past President of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and co-author of “The Photographer’s Guide to Washington DC.” Purcell will reveal her trade secrets for taking gorgeous pictures! The event is scheduled from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Barrett Branch Library, 717 Queen St. For more information, call 703.746.1703.

Saturday, May 1 – Wonders of Science
Explore the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary (105-107 S. Fairfax St.) and be awed by hands-on 18th-century science demonstrations of the wonders of natural science. Project Enlightenment, McLean High School’s historical reenactment society, will conduct scientific experiments with fossils, specimens, flora and fauna typically collected in the 1700s. The Apothecary contains a large variety of objects, from poison bottles to dragon’s blood, for visitors to discover. Tours last one hour and begin at 1 p.m., 1:15 p.m., 2 p.m., 2:15 p.m., 3 p.m., and 3:15 p.m. The cost is $6 per person and reservations are recommended. For more information, visit www.apothecarymuseum.org or call 703.746.3852.

Sunday, May 2 – Plastic Bag Recycling Initiative Exchange Event
Participate in the Plastic Bag Recycling Initiative by exchanging your plastic bags and film for a free reusable bag at the West End Farmers Market. Residents should visit the recycling program table at Ben Brenman Park from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, visit www.alexandriava.gov/plasticbags.

Sunday, May 2 - Opening of the West End Farmers’ Market
The West End Farmers’ Market is open to the public on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., May 2 through November 21 at Ben Brenman Park, 4800 Brenman Park Drive. This outdoor market is one of a kind in the City’s west end, featuring colorful displays of fresh, locally grown, in-season vegetables and fruits, gourmet coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice, and fresh baked pastries. For more information, visit www.alexandriava.gov/farmersmarket.

Monday, May 3 – All Alexandria Reads Movie Night, Featuring “Up”
Come see an adventure in the pursuit of happiness by attending the first All Alexandria Reads event at Duncan Branch Library, 2501 Commonwealth Ave. Beginning at 7 p.m., a free screening of the movie “Up” will be held for all ages. For more information, call 703.746.1705.

Tuesday, May 4 – Meditation Basics with Art of Living
All Alexandria Reads offers a workshop on learning the basic exercises for clearing your mind, gaining focus, and minimizing stress at 7:30 p.m. at the Duncan Branch Library, 2501 Commonwealth Ave. For more information, call 703.746.1705.

Wednesday, May 5 – Opening of the Upper King Street Fresh Farmers’ Market
The Upper King Street Fresh Farmers’ Market, located at King Street Gardens Park, 1806 King St., is just a few steps from the King Street Metro Station. Offering area residents and commuters the opportunity to shop for fresh, locally grown produce, meat, dairy and bakery items, the market is open Wednesdays, May 5 through October 27 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. For additional information, visit http://www.upperkingstreet.org

Coming Soon!

Saturday, May 8 – Build Your Own Rain Barrel Workshop
Interested in saving the environment, living “green” and protecting the Chesapeake Bay? Attend a “Build Your Own Rain Barrel” workshop from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at James K. Polk Elementary School, 5000 James Polk Ave. For more information, visit www.alexandriava.gov/Environment or to register, visit www.arlingtonenvironment.org.

Saturday, May 8 – A “Splendid Fabulous Affair”
Don’t miss the “Splendid Fabulous Affair,” the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria’s 24th annual gala dinner-dance and auction that helps make college a reality for hundreds of T.C. Williams’s graduates. The gala, held at the Hilton Mark Center Alexandria (5000 Seminary Rd.) is where Alexandria comes together to celebrate the generosity of this community, which privately funds nearly $700,000 in scholarships annually. For more information, visit www.AlexScholarshipFund.org/gala.php.

Saturday, May 8 – Civil War Bus Tour
Register now for the Friends of Fort Ward on their spring bus tour to the Shenandoah Valley to visit several Civil War sites as they explore the theme, “Stonewall in the Valley: The 1862 Shenandoah Valley Campaign.” The tour will visit the First Battle of Kernstown, with stops at Pritchard’s Farm and Rose Hill, and the battlefields of Cross Keys and Port Republic. The tour leaves Fort Ward (4301 W. Braddock Rd.) at 7:30 a.m. and returns at 5:30 p.m. The registration fee of $110 is due by Thursday, May 6. For more information, please call 703.746.4848.

Saturday, May 8 – “Rain in a Dry Land” Film Screening
What does it mean to be a refugee in today’s global village? Find out by watching “Rain in a Dry Land” at the Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe St., at 4:30 p.m. The film chronicles the fortunes of two Somali Bantu families, transported by relief agencies from years of civil war and refugee life to Springfield, Massachusetts, and Atlanta, Georgia. This free screening is part of Movies with a Mission, a series of films from and about Africa and the African Diaspora that seek to inform and inspire dialogue. For more information, please visit www.alexblackhistory.org or call 703.746.4356.

Sunday, May 9 – Free Mother’s Day Tours
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum (134 N. Royal St.) and the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum (105-107 S. Fairfax St.) will offer free tours on Mother’s Day for all visiting mothers! Mothers and grandmothers with their children or grandchildren can tour both museums for free from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for all other adults and $3 for children (ages 5-12). For more information, call 703.746.4356 or visit www.historicalexandria.org.

Tuesday, June 1 – Alexandria Domestic Violence Program Volunteer Training
The Alexandria Domestic Violence Program (DVP) will begin volunteer training on June 1. As a program that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, volunteers play a key role in providing services to those affected by domestic violence. The DVP is dedicated to the fair, compassionate and respectful treatment of all survivors of intimate partner violence regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. For more information, contact Jen Clayton at 703.838.4911 or e-mail jen.clayton@alexandriava.gov.

Thursday, June 10 through Sunday, June 13 – Alexandria Archaeology Institute
Do you watch the History Channel and imagine yourself excavating a real historic site? Well, here’s your chance to grab a trowel and dig in! Join Alexandria archaeologists for a unique opportunity to excavate the Shuter’s Hill site on the grounds of the George Washington Masonic Memorial (101 Callahan Dr.) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Gain hands-on experience in site-excavation methods and record keeping. Learn how to use a transit, process and catalog artifacts in the laboratory, and interpret new discoveries. Advance registration is required. For more information, visit www.alexandriaarchaeology.org or call 703.746.4399.

Ongoing!

All Alexandria Reads
Alexandria Library system invites the community to read the humorous travelogue The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner. Join Weiner in his search to discover what makes people happy. All Alexandria Reads is made possible through a generous grant from the James M. Duncan, Jr. Library Foundation, Inc. and the support of many local companies including Bombay Café, Fannon Fine Printing, Fresh Tulips USA, and the Whistle Stop. Visit Alexandria Library’s Web page (www.alexandria.lib.va.us) for a complete list of all events.

Through Sunday, June 27 – “Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts” Exhibition
This exhibition has been extended at The Lyceum (201 S. Washington St.)! It blends historical photographs, artifacts and reflections to tell the story of Girl Scouting in the Washington metropolitan area. The exhibition features a collection of Girl Scout uniforms from the 1910s, 1930s and 1960s, Brownie items from as early as 1937, a display of cookie fundraising materials, and extensive camping and hiking exhibits highlighted by a tent and official Girl Scout gear including a canteen, collapsible cup, pocket knife, compass, and more. Suggested admission is $2. The Lyceum is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.alexandriahistory.org or call 703.746.4994.